Splash of Tartan: The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo honours the national fabric

Visitors are encouraged to wear tartan to this year's Tattoo to celebrate Scotland's heritage and global connections

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is just a few years shy of the 70th birthday that the International Festival and Fringe are celebrating this year. Running since 1950, the Tattoo is an iconic part of the capital's August as hundreds of musicians and performers from across the globe congregate on the castle esplanade to entertain an international audience.

Each year one of the three British military services takes the lead, with 2017 being fronted by the Royal Navy and featuring the Massed Bands of Her Majesty's Royal Marines. This is also the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, and the Tattoo aims to build on that by celebrating the diversity of Scotland's global family. Having worked with the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, organisers invited clan chiefs to lead their people to Edinburgh Castle, where each night different clans will take part in the opening ceremony.

In keeping with the heritage aspect, the Tattoo have chosen Splash of Tartan as their theme and want to reinvigorate interest in the national fabric. Everyone visiting the Tattoo, whether they have a connection to Scotland or not, is encouraged to wear tartan. If you don't have any, the shops on the Royal Mile are well stocked.

This unique event draws crowds (and performers) from all over the world with massed pipes and drums, military bands, display teams, dancers and the haunting lament of the Lone Piper set against the magnificent backcloth of Edinburgh Castle. The 2019 show is called 'Kaleidoscope', in celebration of symmetry.